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In strictly legal terms, there is no ban on the operations of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Pakistan. Yet, in the span of a few years, this once thriving sector has reached the brink of extinction. This is well in line with the current version of statecraft in which an overzealous state apparatus is stifling all voices and avenues that offer a national narrative different from the one espoused by this apparatus — all of this being done without breaking any law.

International NGOs have been the first to face this strategy. Being foreign entities, they have to sign agreements with the federal government each time they intend to fund any projects in Pakistan. For decades, they have got approval for such agreements without any major problems. Over the last few years, however, the approval processes have been getting slower. In some cases, the delayed processes have ended in no agreements. In others, signing of agreements was delayed so much that the funds available for the concerned projects lapsed (because most foreign NGOs are required to consume their funds within specific time frames).

The government provides no reasons for delaying or refusing the agreements. The applicants, instead, are intimated that working in Pakistan is not their right but a privilege granted by the government at its own pleasure so the government is not bound to follow any rules and principles vis-à-vis the agreements.

Even if the funding agreements go through, local administrations, especially intelligence operatives, create many hurdles in the implementation of projects. They enter NGO offices at any time, sometimes seeking project-related documents and at other times asking hostile questions and issuing aggressive instructions. The default perception among government functionaries at the local level is that NGOs are some ‘non-combatant foreign enemies’ that need to remain under a permanent watch. Having a foreign staff member serves as ‘the final proof’ that an NGO has ‘ulterior’ motives.

Local NGOs are facing even bigger obstacles. They have to seek project-to-project based permissions from the federal government even if their donor has already signed an agreement with the relevant authorities for the same project. It is, of course, extremely difficult for organisations working at the district level to navigate the corridors of power at the federal level.

In yet another administrative measure to choke the workings of the NGO sector, many national-level non-government entities have been told by their respective registration authorities to submit an affidavit to declare that they are neither receiving any foreign donations nor will they accept any in the future. These, effectively, are orders to shut shop.

Ostensibly, the clamp down is being enforced in the name of compliance with the latest conditions imposed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global forum, which has put Pakistan on its grey list for not doing enough against money laundering and terror financing. The task force wants the country to improve its regulation of the not-for-profit sector which in many cases has worked as an important link in terror financing.

Many religious organisations and charities, including some that have been banned by the government, are registered under the same law that governs NGOs working in the development sector or for human rights causes. Technically, the latter are becoming collateral damage in the war against terror financing.

The damage, however, is not unintentional. Instead of making any attempt to separate NGOs from entities involved in terror financing, the government is trying to settle some imagined score with the NGO sector as a whole. This is not something new though its intensity is unprecedented. Successive governments have sought to delegitimise NGOs by promoting the same rhetoric that conservative religious groups espouse. The organisations working for regional peace are dubbed anti-state and unpatriotic. Those active against child labour are accused of undermining Pakistan’s economy. And the ones championing equal rights for women are alleged to be working on a western agenda that runs ‘contrary’ to our religious and cultural traditions.

There is nothing wrong in a government, or anyone else for that matter, critiquing the efficiency and effectiveness of NGOs as agents of change and development. Asphyxiating them, however, will certainly not make us a better country or a better society.

The writer works with Punjab Lok Sujag, a research and advocacy group focused on understanding governance and democracy.

This article was published in the Herald's November 2018 issue. To read more subscribe to the Herald in print.

Comments (18) Closed

ShahNov 14, 2018 02:12pm

NGOs have misused their position in Pakistan. Their organizations have been penetrated with foreign intelligence and anti-national activities have been carried out. Shakil Afridi is the most famous case but there are several other. No NGO can claim a right to operate in a country as they always operate by the permission of the host country.

FarooqNov 14, 2018 02:58pm

They are in decline because no results at all. Nor did poverty reduce nor did literacy increase. NGO directors have fat salaries and seminars in 5 star hotels. Result is big zero so donors are backing out

AamirNov 14, 2018 06:41pm

@Farooq Donors are not backing out, its the government of Pakistan which is backing out!

yaqootNov 14, 2018 07:51pm

And not a moment too soon I must say, waste of money in the name of the poor, except for Services like Edhi and Chipaa, no one comes close to actual performance it is a sham most personnel are used for intelligence purposes only, Dr. Afridi is one such individual.

Abdul NabilNov 14, 2018 09:40pm

All the countries of the world keep close eye on the NGOs because they are used to promote foreign agenda.

Asim Nov 14, 2018 10:14pm

@Shah Well said!

SamiNov 14, 2018 10:17pm

NGO's in Syria are behind chemical attacks & fake evidences against the Syrian government. We must not allow NGO's in our country. Even a country like Russia has banned NGO's

Amir ChaudhryNov 14, 2018 10:31pm

Keep foreign powers out of Pakistan!

NGOs must provide adequate visibility of their activities, safeguard against subversion of the state.

Rashid ImTIAZNov 15, 2018 12:49am

By introducing new regulatory measures in 2015, there has been an attempt by the Govt to increase vigilance over the NGO sector especially, INGOs. FATF Recommendation 8 relates to the possible exploitation of NGOs for terror financing. Since Pakistan has been under the watchlist of FATF on and of, there existed the need for effective regulation of the NGO Sector to plug existing loopholes. However, in doing so, genuine players have also suffered on account of the new process. There is no denying in government’s right to regulate the NGO sector, however, the process could have been made much smoother and efficient by creating a single national level authority instead of more than a dozen local, provincial and federal players. Going forward, a system based approach could prove to be more efficient and reliable for regulation of NGO sector instead of paper based approaches. This could also generate handful of data on different aspects thereby helping to devise efficient policies in future

PERSPECTIVENov 15, 2018 04:07am

I am from India and while it has many excellent NGOs, may foreign NGOs do have a hidden agenda. IT is absolutely appropriate to monitor the NGOs and those that are unaccountable should be shut down. Out of more than 3 lakh NGOs India shut down about 3 dozen and even then there was so much noise. Some foreign governments even tried to intervene. Better safe than sorry.

Siraj KhanNov 15, 2018 06:35am

@yaqoot Have you heard of The Citizens Foundation and The Hunar Foundation?

Siraj KhanNov 15, 2018 06:44am

@Sami Russia will disallow any NGO operation, only if a NGO poses a threat to the constitutional order of the Russian Federation or to the country's defense and security.
This "undesirable" designation can be made only by the country's prosecutor general in consultation with the Foreign Ministry. Penalties -- both civil and criminal -- can be imposed.
The law also targets Russian citizens or groups that have any involvement with such foreign NGOs.
NO general ban. You are off the mark, sir.

ansaNov 15, 2018 09:36am

It seems an intentional operation against the NGOs, making so many people jobless and not giving them any alternative. Govt. must think over it.

A Troll From NowhereNov 15, 2018 12:31pm

The NGOs have done more harm than good for the country. And there is no denying the fact that these NGOs have been working as the outposts of our enemies. Can the writer of the article compare how much liberty such foreign NGOs have in our neighborhood? The answer will be in big NO. Pakistan is the only country where NGOs have been playing their dirty games in the guise of social work.

RanjhaNov 15, 2018 05:25pm

Because they have mostly become nests of spies, destroying their credibility!

ZrKNov 18, 2018 01:53pm

These organizations only depended on the foreign funds and society do not own them. They got funding but they failed to sustain. That is why they are becoming extinction. They don't have roots in society and this is the reason the public don't own them period

Ahmad NadeemNov 22, 2018 01:08am

Well Said Rashid Imtiaz

Javed AbidNov 22, 2018 07:21am

NGOs should never be allowed to operate in Pakistan. Without exception they work for other countries.